


Batter Up

by Tokuchi (orphan_account)



Category: One Outs - All Media Types
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-27
Updated: 2018-03-31
Packaged: 2019-02-22 11:51:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,936
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13166346
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/Tokuchi
Summary: It had been two years since Tokuchi had graced the baseball world with his presence. In his short time as a pitcher, he had left a fiery trail in his wake; sporting a Triple Crown victory in the pitching division, that is still untouched to this day, and also leaving a monster of team to represent his legacy: the Lycaons. Back when he was spreading nasty rumors among the reporters in between his distribution of the L-Tickets, it was hard to see any of his credibility through his web of deception but, Takami had to admit he had more praise than animosity for the blonde these days. Well, maybe something a bit more than praise.





	1. Bar Hopping

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, I am the author of this trash story. I thought that since there are no prevalent emotion based arcs in the original One Outs story line, I would make up my own for these lovely b's. I can tell you right now there are probably some really silly grammatical errors, misspellings, and other common mistakes one makes when they write on their own, but I am working on acquiring an editor for this story. This will be a story based around Tokuchi and Takami acting really gay with each other, and other raunchy stuff, so if you don't like, don't read. Now, I hope you enjoy! 
> 
> P.S. Please do not crucify me if I get one of my Easter eggs from the show or manga wrong. Again, I am currently a one woman team and cannot promise perfection from a fucking gay One Outs fan-fiction about angst and baseball. That is all.

"Annnnnnnnd that's the game!" Roars of victory from the stands drowned the praises of the commentators. "An outstanding shutout game of 12-0; the Mariners win all three consecutive games against the Bluemars!" The screams of the Mariner's fans were only heightened with each sing of their teams praise. The Mariners dugout was also warm and satisfying in the saturation of victory themselves. It was a hard fought game. A skin prickling pitching battle had erupted during the second inning and a hitting battle followed in the seventh inning, ending in the Mariners victory. It was truly a sight to behold. 

There was laughter and whoops over the clatter of bats and helmets as the Mariners ball players gathered their individual equipment, ready to leave the shaded humidity of the dugout. A shower of water and Gatorade nipped at Takami's face as Akira and Thomas did their best to drench Kawanaka to show their appreciation for the young raven haired man's performance earlier. There were friendly jabs and roars of praise floating throughout the dugout as the coaches tried to haul everyone out of the tight space and onto the charter bus. Even if the Mariners had had a monstrous reawakening, they still had to subject themselves to hellish training camps during their winter break. Through the continuous buzz of the Mariners fans and players, Takami couldn't help but hear Amami and Brooklyn's happy chatter back and forth as they filed out of the dugout. It brought a warm smile to his face. They had finally become a functioning team again. Amami and Brooklyn had quit their feud and everyone else had come to accept each other as friends and teammates. It had taken a while for them to stop screaming at each other like children every five minutes, but anything's possible if you make a group of grown men spend three days together camping in the woods without any form of entertainment other than themselves. Just as Takami was placing the last of his equipment into his duffel bag, he caught a glimpse of Tokuchi Toua's face flashing across the TV mounted in the far corner of the dugout. 

It had been two years since Tokuchi had graced the baseball world with his presence. In his short time as a pitcher, he had left a fiery trail in his wake; sporting a Triple Crown victory in the pitching division, that is still untouched to this day, and also leaving a monster of team to represent his legacy: the Lycaons. Back when he was spreading nasty rumors among the reporters in between his distribution of the L-Tickets, it was hard to see any of his credibility through his web of deception but, Takami had to admit he had more praise than animosity for the blonde these days. Well, maybe something a bit more than praise.

This is because, before he left the baseball world, he "accidentally" let one more integral thing, that changed the way the Japanese baseball world was run, slip from his lips on his way out the door. It wasn't another rumor about Amami or Brooklyn, it was a rumor about a contract that Tokuchi had formed between himself and the owner of the Lycaons, Saikawa. 

This marring piece of information instigated a full scale investigation regarding the powers of the baseball world and how it was run. Many things were brought to light throughout the process. One of the key things was Tanabe's move to a single league being a legitimate bad move only favoring himself, among other dark details involving money that kind of flew over Takami's head when he had read about it in the tabloids. His inability to understand the scale and gravity of the situation was probably only because of the fact that, as a baseball player, he was shielded heavily from details of the event but, that's where Tokuchi came in again. 

Takami found it convenient how easily the investigators stumbled upon integral pieces of evidence to destroy the current owners of the baseball world; and how it also fell into Kojima's hands so easily. The brunette soon grew used to Kojima calling him at ungodly hours to inform him on which owner from which team had resigned this time. Takami also had to rely on Amami to elaborate the more political aspects of the situation, but he knew, at the end of the day, that Toa was the one behind the dirt that surfaced around every corner. 

After another one of the many long discussions Takami had had with Amami, the older man and himself still couldn't fathom why Tokuchi would concern himself with cleaning up the trash that had been festering behind closed doors before he left. He always came off as a man of minimalistic precision and effort. Not delving into things that weren't relevant to his goals. Believe it or not, this kept Takami up at night. Why did he join the baseball world? Why did he leave so suddenly? Why was he so concerned about the Lycaons? Why them? 

"Takami, we're leaving!" The coach's voice thundered behind him, pulling him from his thoughts and making him turn tail and scuttle out of the dugout to fall in line with Amami and Brooklyn as they made their way to the locker room. It was best he just forgot about Tokuchi already. The brunette was embarrassed over the impact the blonde had made on his career, and his personal life, but his persistent relevance in the news didn't make it any easier from him to wipe the blonde from his mind. 

"Oh, you finally caught up, Itsuki." Brooklyn grinned at him and nodded towards Amami. "We were just thinking of going bar hopping after we get to Okinawa for the training camp and was wondering if you wanted to come along." They weren't supposed to drink unless it was off-season, or on rare occasions like big wins. This was because, they were professional baseball players and had to keep up their physique; but training camps were a different story. They were hellish three week camps that pushed you past your limit. Alcohol became a very big catalyst for failure if not handled properly during those three weeks. One drop of the toxic liquid could mean the difference between life or death during the camps. Of coarse, that wouldn't stop them. They may be some of the most powerful baseball players to ever grace the field, but they were also stupid as shit sometimes. 

Takami's eager eyes darted to Amami who showed his approval with a sly grin. "There's a string of bars that are near a military base that aren't too far from the hotel. We could be there and back before the coaches would ever notice we were gone." A wide smile stretched across Takami's face and he nodded vigorously.

"You guys always know just what I need," He paused and looked around for the coaches before continuing. "Count me in."


	2. The Ethereal Blonde

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Through the bulk of Brooklyn and Thomas, Takami turned his head and caught the golden glint of Tokuchi Toua’s eyes first, then the rest of him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, again. I'm glad to see you decided to read the second chapter of my story. I hope the first chapter wasn't too boring in it being merely the set-up to the cluster fuck of events that will play out through the rest of the story. I don't have much to say other than that so, I hope you enjoy.

The bus ride to Okinawa was just as expected. Most all the players that played that day had passed out the minute they sat down in the cushioned leather seats and let their heads hit whatever came close to a pillow. The coaches worked over the data and regimens the players would use during the training camp, and the assistants catered to whatever the still conscious players needed. It was a calm productive drive that did not foreshadow the severity of the events that would take place later that night. 

Upon arrival to their hotel in Okinawa, Takami, Amami, and Brooklyn instigated their plan; inviting Thomas and Kitahoji along at the last minute. Their plan was to convince the two most recently hired assistants to shut up, take care of their luggage, and make sure the coaches and managers were too busy to notice that the five of them were missing for one night. Takami and Amami were the ones that were chosen to go and tempt the two young female assistants into helping the group since they were considered to be the two “ladykillers” out of the five of them. The implication of Takami being a lady killer made everyone in the group laugh a little to hard in the eyes of the embarrassed brunette, but he agreed to the plan despite having his masculinity insulted by his closest friends. 

Five minutes later, Takami found himself being pushed forward by Amami into the assistant’s hotel room; quiet whoops and whistles from the other guys floating in behind them as they stepped into the room. It wasa simple room, two beds, a TV, a closet, and a bathroom covered all of the possible necessities. Takami felt his cheeks flush at the sight of the two females resting on their individual beds, chattering and laughing over some photos on their phones. Their hair was long and black and they were shocked to see the two top batters in the baseball world standing in the entrance way their hotel room. The girl laying on the bed closest to the two men sat up quickly and placed her phone, face down, into the bed sheets and stood up in order to address them. Takami remembered her name was Sanada and she had been hired only four days ago. He remembered her among the group of newbies due to some sort of recognition that sparked in his memory every time he saw her. 

“Oh, What do you need?” There was an awkward pause as she searched for how to address them, “Mr. Takami and Mr. Amami.” 

“Aw, there’s no need to be formal, Miss...” Amami smiled through his awkward pause and Takami saw Sanada’s eyes narrow. “We were just wondering if you could do a favor for us.” 

“What kind of favor?” Sanada tilted her head and brushed her long hair back from her bare shoulders, playing along with Amami.

“We were wondering if you could help Takami, me and a few other players, sneak out to grab a few drinks before we start the training camp this week.” Amami’s playboy face was steady and convincing. “It was Takami’s idea and he thought if we came to you-”

“You don’t even know my name and your asking for favors,” Sanada paused before bursting into laughter and turning around to face her friend in a whirlwind of hair and giggles. “Oi, Hongo, they don’t even know my name and their asking for favors. You see what I’m talkin’ ‘bout?” The girl named Hongo let a knowing grin bloom on her face as she dipped her head in a quick nod. Their quips seemed to be synonymous with their earlier conversation.

“You shouldn’t be so angry at them,” Hongo clicked her phone shut and tossed it onto the nightstand beside her. “You did grow out your hair and dye it since you last saw them; also it’s been six years since you’ve talked to the-”

“Your name is Sanada, right.” Takami blurted, eyes bright. He wasn't about to loose one of his only chances to slam back a few drinks just because this girl was a bitch. Besides, he remembered her now. That accent was hard to forget. Her hair was also twice the length it used to be and it was a burgundy red instead of black. “You were the manager of the baseball team at the highschool Amami and attended. You also used to tutor me in math but you moved away in our second year and we never saw you again.” Both girls fell silent upon Takami’s outburst and the only reaction he received was from Hongo, who gave a face that said, ‘Took you long enough’. There was a string of silence before Amami made a clicking sound with his tongue.

“Sanada--” Amami recollection was cut off when Sanada turned back to face them, cheeks a hot red. “Bout time you recognized me you assholes! Coming in here planning on throwing a couple of brand new assistants under the bus so you could go and get drunk as shit and let them take the fall for it is the dumbest idea I’ve ever heard come out of your mouths!” Hongo sat up in shock. She was aware that Sanada had a deep rooted friendship with these two baseball stars that went back years, but that outburst could still cost them their jobs. Who knows if these two were having a bad day or not. Hongo was not about to let her gem of a job get shattered by Sanada’s pride, 

‘Um, Sanada, I don’t think you should talk to them that wa--” Hongo’s words died in her throat when Takami and Amami grinned at each other and Sanada broke into laughter again. “Good thing you came to me and Hongo instead of some goody two shoes newbies. It’s good to see you two again.”

“Agreed.” Takami chimed. 

“Yeah, yeah. So, back to our favor, Mrs. Drama Queen,” Amami tapped the watch on his wrist to signal they didn't have a lot of time. “We need you to make sure our luggage gets to our rooms and keep the coaches and managers from realizing we’re gone until we get back. Can you do that?”

“I can tell you that you can consider it done but, there is one thing I request though.” 

Takami let out a sigh. “It wouldn’t be a deal with you without a catch.” Sanada’s grin was wider than ever as she slinked up to Amami. The batter looked at her for a long moment before asking, “Okay, what is your request?” 

“The two of you kiss on camera.” Hongo’s mouth dropped open almost as wide as the two baseball players’ did while Sanada pulled out her camera. “I need to cover my ass if I’m going to cover your ass. Also, it’s nice to have some dirt on some influential figures that make seven figures a year.” 

Takami felt his face flush at the thought of Amami and him kissing. Sanada had a way of pushing all of the most awkward buttons to twist a situation into her favor. She was the exact same way in middle school and is arguably one of the only people that would be a real challenge to Tokuchi. The most noteworthy incident that touched all of the bases of her insanity was during Takami’s first year of high school. Sanada had caught him in the showers after school and took a picture of him naked, using the photo as blackmail to convince the poor brunette to show up to her hellish tutoring sessions in order to improve his bismol math grade. Even if her intentions were good, in being that she forced him into the tutoring sessions so he could stay on the baseball team, her methods of reaching her goal was morally questionable. Takami swore upon his career as a batter that if Sanada and Tokuchi ever met, that would mark the day the world ended. 

“Okay, sure.” Amami shrugged and turned to face Takami, who froze in shock at Amami’s willingness. Hongo let out a strangled shriek as the raven haired man cupped the brunettes face and planted a soft, quick kiss on his lips. All Takami could register in that moment was the taste of chewing tobacco on Amami’s lips and the sound of a thousand pictures being taken before he wiggled out of Amami’s hold with a strangled gasp. His face was a bright red and Sanada had a crazy satisfaction in her eyes as she clicked through her recently acquired dirt on the two men. 

“Amami,” Takami squealed. “You didn’t ask me if I was okay with that!” Amami looked at him with his usual calm face before responding. “I never asked if I could do that back in highschool but, you let me do it anyway.” Takami never got a chance to respond due to Sanada shoving them out of the hotel room and into the hallway. In that moment, Hongo understood what it meant to genuinely feel for another human being in pain. All she could do was give the shaken brunette a small smile. 

“Okay,” Sanada chirped through her elation. “I’ll take of everything on this end so you go enjoy your drinks with your friends!” Her statement ended forcing the two batters out of her hotel room with a slam of the suite door and a burst of giggles from the other side of it. Takami let out a heavy sigh and followed a very satisfied Amami back down the hall to meet the other three men; their faces stretched with the anticipation of success. 

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“It wasn’t that bad Takami,” Amami attempted to comfort him as they walked to the first of many bars they would visit that night. “Think about it. All you have to do is not do something that would give Sanada a reason to use those pictures for anything other than her personal agenda.”

“That’s easy for you to say,” Takami sighed. “You weren’t the one that was always pissing her off for no reason when we were younger. I don’t know why she was so aggressive. Maybe, I’m just really stupid.”

“Well, that’s all in the past now. Look we’re here at the first bar.” Takami and everyone took in the bar presented before them. ‘WELCOME CLUB’ was printed in purple and blue letters on a massive blue sign that was framed with vanity esque lights that gave a sort of ethereal feel to the bar’s overall appearance. There was a warm drowning chatter of multiple voices drifting from the entrance of the establishment that eased their hesitation to enter the foreign building. Takami could feel everyones’ urge to let loose increase as they made their way inside. Just as they were pushing past the cowboy style swing doors of the bar, Takami heard the familiar clap of expensive shoes on pavement.

Through the bulk of Brooklyn and Thomas, Takami turned his head and caught the golden glint of Tokuchi Toua’s eyes first, then the rest of him. The blonde was ethereal in his usual loose white dress shirt, tight leather pants, reflective dress shoes, and a heavy black coat that was lined with fur to keep warm. The batter’s heartbeat erupted with shock in his chest as the pitcher’s eyes widened in realization at who the group before him was. The smoke billowing from his lips, which balanced a half smoked cigarette, ceased as his breath seemed to halt for a single moment. Suddenly, the blonde’s eyes relaxed and a small, sharp grin slid across his porcelain face. Everything became painfully slow in that one moment, the snow that had just begun to fall around them seemed to stagnate in the air, the cold creeping into Takami’s joints halted its pursuit, the unknowing laughter of his friends in front of him became distorted, like he had cotton in his ears, and the single index finger Tokuchi rose and pressed against his lips to ask for Takami’s silence lifted so slowly, it seemed as if it weighed a thousand pounds. 

Takami had spent these last two years trying to forget the blonde, yet here he was, standing right in front of him again. Seeing him carved out against the snow made Takami feel as if everything he had done to drive the blonde from his mind, all this time, was meaningless. The batter hated how everything he felt for Tokuchi, when he saw him on the pitchers mound two years ago, reignited in that one moment. Just one look shattered everything he had built up. Deep down, Takami wanted run to him, hold him there, and ask him a million questions; tell him how he made him feel. It was a bizarre want, and the batter understood that very well. He had never actually interacted with the blonde outside of the diamond and therefore, had no personal connection that would justify any of what he was feeling, or what he wanted to do. 

So, he let Tokuchi slip around the corner of the block and disappear as he, himself, entered the bar after his friends, reflecting on how he could make himself understand the things he was feeling when he saw retired pitcher was wrong. His heart felt heavy and tight and his cheeks were flushing a deep red ignited from elation and stress. Worst of all, that damn smile seemed to be stapled to the inside of his eyelids. All Takami could really hope to do was to drink away the blonde, which is exactly what he planned to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, thank you so much for taking the time to read this story. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it!


	3. An Overwhelming Smile

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Hey,” Takami began, words slurred and slow. “I...just wanted to thank you for getting us out of that thing...at that bar today.” Takami looked at the ground and Amami felt his heartbeat quicken. The brunette, despite looking disheveled and tired, still looked stunning to the raven haired man. Tangled brown hair that always slipped in front of his face, big brown eyes, and a smile that Amami found hard to look at because it was so overwhelming in its brightness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, again! I'm back with another chapter that reflects my deep desire for these men to be gay. I'd like to make it clear that this is going to be a love triangle with Amami, Takami, and Tokuchi. I wanted to do this because Amami and Takami already have a past in the original work that I found interest in fleshing out. In the manga, Takami says that he has known Amami since high school, but I think that Takami's infatuation with Toua is just as interesting as the other twos' past. So, I decided to put both ideas into one story to try and spice it up. I hope that makes sense and that you enjoy the idea and story.

As Takami stepped inside the thick warmth of the bar, time seemed to finally reset to its usual speed. Roars of intoxicated laughter bombarded the brunette's ear drums as he followed the path Brooklyn and Kitahoji carved through the pack of intoxicated men towards the bronze stools at the other end of the bar. The stools were topped with dark red cushions and lined the marble top bar in an orderly fashion that made them reflect a sort of elegance that was lost on the crowd around them.

Each of them took a seat on an individual stool, feeling as if a string of stress in all of them snapped, releasing them from the stranglehold. Takami especially felt it as he braced his forearms on the bar and lowered his head in a tired expression. A sigh slipping from his lips as his eyes traced the delicate details of the cold marble under his hands. The others had broken into an incomprehensible conversation, probably centered around complaining about tomorrows training, but Takami wasn't really in the mood to join the discussion. 

The professional baseball life he lived may have been one with faces of glamour, but it was difficult and overwhelming at its core. Takami felt as if there was never a moment for him to actually enjoy anything because of the time baseball took up in his life. This meant, the last thing he wanted to do was talk about it when he had finally gotten a chance to relax. He was always exercising, studying opponents, traveling, doing interviews, creating connections, and other things along those parameters. Sometimes he thought it wouldn’t be a bad idea to just quit baseball and retire. He sure as hell had enough money to do that, but he just couldn’t bring himself to leave the diamond just yet.

His fundamental love of baseball is what drove him to endure everything unpleasant up to this point so, he saw no real qualms in continuing. At the end of the day, it was worth it to just be able to hit the ball one more time. To be the star of the show and have everyone screaming your name as you rounded each base after hitting a home run. High fiving your teammates and getting loud slaps on the back as you made your way into the dugout to place your bat in the holder. Bonding with fellow baseball players and playing dumb pranks in the dugout. That’s what Takami endured it all for.

“Oi, isn’t that the main Mariners batting line up?” Takami pulled himself out of his thoughts to turn to see who had outed them, but Amami shook his head.

The entire room fell silent upon the acknowledgement of their presence. Each one of the baseball players that sat at the bar knew that every eye in the room was staring daggers into their backs respectfully. They also knew that the looks they were given were far from the gazes of admiration they were used to. 

They all stayed quite under the pressure of the attention until the beautiful black woman behind the bar placed a freshly cleaned shot glass in front of Amami. It glittered under the harsh lights above the players, full of a heavy looking amber liquid. Takami was the one to meet her surprisingly blue gaze, though. He took a moment to appreciate her glittering earrings, striking eye makeup, glossy lips, and full figure tucked into a dark purple dress before she spoke.

“Lordy, you five chose the wrong bar to walk into. What rotten luck to have in a place where you need it by the tons.” She busted into an energetic laughter at her own statement despite the thick air of tension that hung in the room. Takami furrowed his brows at the fact she was speaking English. Amami, Kitahoji, and Takami didn’t have a vast understanding of the language due to the fact that every foreigner they met were usually able to sputter some form of the Japanese mens’ mother language, but, Thomas and Brooklyn had no problem understanding what she was saying because they originated from America themselves. 

“What do you mean, ma’am?” Thomas questioned with a slight worry in his voice. The atmosphere was starting to grow heavier as Takami and Amami examined the people placed helter skelter throughout the bar. Awkward groups of massive men began to form and break into hushed conversation as the woman behind the bar spoke up again.

“Well, I’m not sure if you know,” She paused as if to gauge their knowledge of what she was implying. “But, your in Toua’s territory...and he’s not too fond of any of you sitting at this bar right now.” She slid a long nail across the mirror reflective surface of the bar. “Which means none of us here are too fond of you either.” 

“Well,” Brooklyn boomed. “He ain’t here now is he? So, what’s the problem?” He busted into a fit of laughter, causing the crowd behind them to erupt into a storm of angry howls and cries. Takami tensed up, not being a stranger to bar fights and how they started, but was reassured by Amami’s strong hand on his forearm. That meant that he would handle the situation from here on out, which comforted Takami a lot more than the idea of Brooklyn starting a brawl. The foreigner was strong, but not as strong as how many angry men you could count in the bar at that moment. 

“I think I understand what your saying,” Amami chose to speak Japanese as he pushed the glass in front of him away. He knew the woman understood Japanese, or she wouldn;t be able to serve non-American customers. “This is the area Tokuchi plays One Outs and gambles. He’s a popular figure that is generally respected around here, isn’t he?" He paused. "Also, I’m can assume your Big Mama?” Big Mama’s cheeks glowed with recognition and she nodded with pride.

“You hit the nail on the head, honey.” She chirped. Her cheeriness seemed to fade as quickly as it came when she leaned across the bar. Her face was mere centimeters away from Amami’s when she spoke again. This time her voice was flat and predatory. “I’m sure you can understand why I’ll say what I’m gonna say next then?” She said this in Japanese.

Amami didn’t give her a chance to continue, standing and pulling Takami and Kitahoji with him. “Of course. We’ll take our leave now, ma’am.” Just as Brooklyn and Thomas were made to follow after Amami’s mature retreat, Big Mama slammed her fist onto the table as the whole room busted into a chorus of howling laughter. 

“That’s not what I meant,” She said between chortles of mocking laughter. “I was going to extend an offer to you and your friends.” Anxiety multiplied in Takami’s chest as he took in the hungry looks around them. Yes, that’s what it was. They were being looked at like walking money bags. Now he saw where Tokuchi got it from.

“Ha!” Kitahoji chirped. The english seemed as if it was simple enough for him to interpret. “What offer could you put on the table that could possibly keep people like us here?” His accent was heavy, sarcastic, but understandable at least. Takami was saddened by the fact the man’s asshole personality translated across multiple languages. Takami would never admit it outloud, but he hated Kitahoji’s big mouth that was fostered from years of mistaking his talents for evidence that he was better than everyone else. 

“A game of One Outs,” She said simply. The entire room fell silent and Takami and Amami locked eyes, quietly communicating that they both agreed this situation was heading in a direction it shouldn’t be. “It may not be a game that’s as fancy as your professional baseball games,” Big Mama let a wide grin crawl across her face as he eyes darkened. “But, it’ll be fun.” She stretched out the last syllable as she came out from behind the bar. 

“I think we will have to decline your offer,” Amami said abruptly. His words were polite, but his tone said that he was done talking. Big Mama’s eyes narrowed and she tilted her head questioningly. “We’re very busy busy people.” He said simply, before turning, motioning for the other four baseball players to follow him out.

“What the fuck was that?” Brooklyn laughed once they had made it to the safety of another, less intimidating establishment. They all preferred to not talk about how quickly they had run away from the hostility of Big Mama’s bar and into the comfort of this one. It was more of a club than a bar though, since they were all too scared to take their chances with another shady place full of Tokuchi’s fanboys. They were all shoved into a booth at the far end of the dance floor, slamming drinks and bantering back and forth. Takami didn’t like places like this, preferring the quiet hustle of a small bar to the louder banter and sex air of a club, but he was willing to compromise for a couple of drinks. 

“I mean, I’ve seen that kind of mob mentality with boxers in their hometown.” Thomas tried. “Like, the town is willing to defend their pride and joy within that boxer to the death because they somehow vicariously live through them. Maybe they have that same kind of pride with Tokuchi.” Thomas paused to take a swig of his beer. “Wasn’t he like like a king in the gambling world? And that One Outs game he played made him pretty popular in Okinawa if I remember correctly.” Kitahoji rolled his eyes. Tokuchi was a sore subject for him since the blonde was in the category of, “People possibly more talented than me”, but, that didn’t stop the men from talking about him. If anything, it prompted Takami to continue the subject.

“Yeah,” Takami brightened. “I watched an interview with Kojima, who went into detail on his experience playing One Outs with Tokuchi, and it was really insightful.” Amami gave him a hard look of annoyance at his fascination with the blonde, but the brunette was too caught up in his own alcohol fueled world to notice, so the raven haired man just took another swig of his drink to wash down the burn. 

The rest of the night turned into a whirlwind of booze, neon lights, and bars. Brooklyn got into a fight with some poor guy who bumped into him outside of a convenient store, Kitahoji declared he was going to be the next president of the United States, even going so far as to write his campaign speech on a napkin. Thomas ran into a pole on the way home, and Takami got seven girls numbers, none of which were their actual numbers. Of coarse, Amami, who was not fond of drinking alcohol in large quantities, had to play the part of the parent and make sure each half unconscious man found his way back to the correct room without being seen by a nocturnal coach or manager. It was a hard fought battle for the raven haired man. Brooklyn started crying apologies for how he treated Amami during the “Tokuchi Era’ as the older male tried to push him into his room while Thomas pulled from the other side. It was an awkward fight that Amami barely won. That wasn’t the worst of it, though. 

It was well known among the team that Takami and Kitahoji had a cat fight going on. They were the only ones that didn’t make up after Tokuchi left the baseball world and no one pressed the issue since it was impressive they had made it this far from how far they had fallen as a team. In all actuality, Amami knew they had been fighting since the day they met, not because of Tokuchi's rumors, but just because they genuinely didn't mesh personality wise. He thought that if he left the two men alone to work out their differences, everything would be fine. But that didn’t look like it was happening anytime soon. They fought like teenage girls so, he was always on high alert when they were within five feet of each other; especially, when they were drunk. Amami found teenage girls to be particularly scary and unpredictable.

As soon as they had arrived at Kitahoji’s room, the curly haired man decided to let Takami have his two cents on the batter’s fashion sense before leaving. “Why the fuck do you wear earrings and have long hair, Takami? You look like a delinquent.” Kitahoji gawked.

Takami whirled around to face him, cheeks red with embarrassment. “Oh really? At least I don’t have a fucking ficus on my head, you egomaniac.” Amami choked back a laugh. Takami was really creative and it payed off in weird ways. Like, when you needed a creative comeback in an argument. Amami also thought Takami was pretty cute when he got hot headed but, he didn’t have much time to enjoy the brunettes quirks because both intoxicated men were now in each others’ faces, ready to throw punches. Before any damage could be inflicted, Amami grabbed Kitahoji, pushed him into his hotel room, and slammed the door behind him with a sigh and turned to Takami. Another crises averted. Takami didn't give Amami a chance to reprehend him. Turning with an over dramatic huff, Takami walked across the hall to his room, letting Amami follow close behind. The brunette paused upon arriving at his room, hand hovering over the door knob, before he turning back to face Amami.

“Hey,” Takami began, words slurred and slow. “I...just wanted to thank you for getting us out of that thing...at that bar today.” Takami looked at the ground and Amami felt his heartbeat quicken. The brunette, despite looking disheveled and tired, still looked stunning to the raven haired man. Tangled brown hair that always slipped in front of his face, big brown eyes, and a smile that Amami found hard to look at because it was so overwhelming in its brightness.

"It's no problem." Amami laughed, scratching the back of his head. "I knew that all of our hard work to sneak out would be useless if we got into a fight, or something, while we were out." 

"You know, Amami," Takami's cheeks darkened. "I'm really grateful you're around, ya' know..."

After hearing that from Takami, while he made that face, Amami couldn’t help but lean in a kiss the younger man hesitantly. Takami didn’t react at first, but began to slowly kissed back after his intoxicated brain caught up with the situation. Amami took the initiative and deepened the kiss, pushing Takami against his hotel room door. The older man let his hands travel to feel the brunettes chest through his shirt. His fingers dipped across hard muscle and hot skin as Takami opened his mouth to suck at Amami’s bottom lip. Amami reacted by biting on Takami’s upper lip, making the brunette whine in annoyance. A chuckle slipped from Amami’s lips as Takami laced his arms around his neck. The brunette was still tipsy, but Amami didn't mind all of the physical contact.

“Hey,” Takami said against his lips. “Spend the night with me.” Amami paused. He certainly wanted to, but wasn’t sure if he should, since they were starting a hardcore training camp tomorrow. It’s not like Takami and him haven’t slept together before, and wouldn’t do so again, but Amami didn't want their fun to affect Takami's performance. Amami was a weak man though. 

“I will if you don’t complain about it in the morning.” Amami compromised.

“Yeah, yeah…” Takami nodded and nuzzled Amami’s neck, pressing closer against him.

“Let's get into your room before we start you dumbass!” Amami laughed as he opened Takami’s hotel room door and shoved him inside.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! I don't know if I should write out the sexy time Amami and Takami have at the end of this chapter, but I'll think about it. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and look forward to the next one!


	4. Alley Cat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He admitted that he had never experienced a warm team atmosphere before joining the Lycaons, but he had never yearned for it, as he refused to yearn for it now. He had spent the majority of his life making distance between himself and others because it made his choice of lifestyle easier, and that wasn't going to change now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, again! This is the final chapter before Tokuchi and Takami meet. I couldn't be more exited for them to finally come face to face and have this love triangle get a little spicier. I would like to give ample thanks to the wonderful people who comment every time I post a new chapter; it warms my heart to know you are enjoying this to the extent you are. Honestly, I'm so terrified every time I post a new chapter, but I enjoy it, so I'm going to happily continue. And one more thing, I just started school up after a lengthy break, so I will probably update less frequently, but the story will continue on. Anyway, I hope you enjoy!

Tokuchi's heart was still hammering hard in his chest. The last thing he expected to see was Takami and the other Mariners players on his way to Big Mama’s bar. Worse, was the fact that the idiotic ball players decided to bide their time in Toua’s self proclaimed second home, exorcising him from his desired destination. He heaved a slight sigh, resolving he wouldn't be deterred from his enjoyment of booze and darts, and rounded the perimeter of the bar. It was easy for the lanky blonde to grapple onto the fence, that separated the dank side ally from the land cozied beside the back of the bar, and swing himself over to land softly on the gentle earth. He would not go far though, since Nathan was soon upon him. Nathan was Big Mama’s boyfriend and resembled the kind of person people bent away from when they had to come within fifteen feet of him. He was a monstrously muscled man that found his amusements in cornering Toa and trying to rip some response from the thin man; somehow heightening his amusements when the blonde steeled himself to not respond to any taunts or threats of violence against him. 

“What you coming ‘round the back for, Ally Cat?” Nathan's nickname for Tokuchi stemmed from his inability to see Tokuchi as no better than a stray cat; stealing from the trash and goods of others in the name of self preservation and selfishness. He was especially reminded of this image when he saw how friendly Tokuchi was with Big Mama, despite the fact the larger man only preserved his relationship with Big Mama for her money. Tokuchi personally found the odd sexual nature of the name off-putting and tried to push past Nathan and grapple at the bar’s back door, which had a halo if welcoming light Tokuchi yearned to be bathed in. He knew Nathan only sought after Big Mama for her money, and he didn't take to kindly to that. But, Tokuchi wasn't stupid and wasn't about to sacrifice himself to Nathan's rage to save the older woman from her ignorance. That didn't mean he wouldn't fuck around with Nathan every once in a while though; swindling thousands from him in rigged gambles, spiking his drinks so he acted like an idiot in front of massive audiences, and shredding the tires on his car every chance he had. Yep, those were some fun times. Minor pranks aside, it was unquestionable that Tokuchi would never win in a physical altercation with the older man, and was quick to grab onto the handle of the bar's back door. He swung the door open and escaped into the safety of Big Mama’s establishment, but not before receiving a hearty blow to the back of his head from the heavy handed man behind him. The normally nimble blonde had to steady himself from the inflicted damage as he stumbled up the narrow hall that made up the main line of traveling throughout the bar. There were two doors to Tokuchi's right, one door to his left, and another directly in front of him. 

He ignored the two bathrooms to his right, gladly passed up Big Mama's bedroom, and found himself sulkily sitting on the bench, that served as a smoking area, that sat just out of sight of the door at the end of the hall; said door leading to the actual bar itself. Toa’s true destination. He let his chin fall to his breast as he slid down the bench and placed a recently retrieved cigarette between his thin lips before lighting the cigarette and inhaling; finding vast pleasure in the hot smoke that filled his lungs. He closed his eyes and felt the need for sleep overtake him. It was an undeniable fact the young man had spent many nights curled up on this bench, big enough for a full grown person to stretch across comfortably, with Big Mama’s strong motherly eyes attempting to find the child within him to love as he slept. So, he had no qualms with slipping into sleep, still sporting a barely smoked cigarette on his lips. His need for booze could wait just a little while.  
______________________________________________________________________________  
Next time he woke, Big Mama was seated across from him like she was the day they had met. It was a day they both remembered vividly. He had stumbled upon a baseball field, ripe with an unapproachable atmosphere, after he had received a good deal of a beating from his father, and found his vigor was renewed by the sight of a baseball inspired game playing out before him. He was careful to slip his way to the front and place himself behind the sorry excuse for a batter that trembled behind the plate. The pitcher seemed to seep confidence as he vicariously played with the ball before winding up and letting the pitch fly towards the strike zone. That's when Toa decided to speak up.

“Curve ball. Low, to the outside.” the batter's surprise blinded him from his chance to swing at the predicted pitch, but was able to acknowledge the fact that the young man was correct. His breath was all but taken when he spoke up once more. This time before the pitching motion had completed.

“The next pitch is going to be the same.” Toua iterated, apathetically watching the batter swing and miss again. His shock was as immense as it was short; and he did not hesitate to turn and readily hear Tokuchi's next quip. 

“Alright… forget about the earlier two pitches,” Tokuchi looked at the batter with annoyance before continuing. “The next one is going to be a fastball; straight to the chest.”

Despite Tokuchi's willful participation in the success of the batter before him, the ignorant man was only able to hit the ball on a lucky swing, sending it sky rocketing towards the outfield, barely. As cheers and jeers alike rang out around them, Tokuchi took to taunting the man at his inability to fully capitalize on the chance he had been given, ridiculing him for his lack of talent in the batting department.

That's when Big Mama stepped in, inviting Toa to play his own game of One Outs against a batter, which the blonde accepted with an air ease. Of course, she did not fully understand the ramifications of hinting him on the batter's favorite pitch until he had single handedly won a one pitch One Outs game using that very pitch. What she did understand though, was that he was young, beaten black and blue, and smart enough to bring her immense amounts of money if he decided to work in her group; a select few men who feigned a game of One Outs, the outcome decided ahead of time, in order to trick unsuspecting gamblers into losing massive amounts of money. The blonde could prove to be quite an asset. 

But, upon bringing the young man back to her bar and offering her deal to him, he declined rather quickly. Usually, Big Mama would have no more to do with him then, but she found herself grappling at a sort of understanding that Tokuchi needed someone at that moment. Not because he exhibited signs of someone in distress, no quite the opposite in her eyes, but because her internal motherly instinct told her with a belief so unquestionable, that she had offered to let him stay the night on the cushioned bench in the back of her establishment. Her offer for him to stay the night on the bench in the back of her bar was as cool as his acceptance of her offer.

From there, Tokuchi continued to frequent the bar, warming up in a way he only did around Big Mama. It was to be clarified that he held a warm likeness for her, but he never opened himself up to her in anyway, shape, or form when it came to his personal life. But, one could also acknowledge the ease and carefree nature that slipped into his mannerisms when he talked with her. It was only assumed he saw her in the same light as a mother, which Big Mama found she didn't mind. As he had many nights before, Tokuchi found comfort in her watchful eye, but didn't show it, as he sat up and shouldered off his fur lined jacket, staying silent under the assumption she would fill the silence herself. Big Mama let out a puff of smoke as she she spoke, acting on Toa's prediction  
.   
“You know, those boys from the Mariners were here tonight.” Tokuchi nodded, and rubbed the sleep from his eyes, feeling as if he had lost more energy than he had gained from his nap. 

“That's why I came in through the back, the last thing I need is a confrontation with those idiots.” Tokuchi was about to get up when Big Mama stopped him and motioned for him to return to his seat. 

“That's not my main concern, though,” She sighed. “I think you've been drinking too much lately, Toa. You're always either drinking or gambling, and it's not a healthy lifestyle. I'm far from the right person to be telling you this, but I genuinely think that you miss the Lycaons. We both know you didn't have to leave, but I don't think you knew what you had until you had it, and then lost it. Does that make sense?” Toa looked at her for a moment, then his gaze flicked away, finding something for his eye to latch on to as the wheels in his head lurched at the thought.

He admitted that he had never experienced a warm team atmosphere before joining the Lycaons, but he had never yearned for it, as he refused to yearn for it now. He had spent the majority of his life making distance between himself and others because it made his choice of lifestyle easier. It was common knowledge that emotion was the destruction of many, and Toa was no exception to the effects of emotion, so he tended to make sure he was never in a situation where they would get in the way. This generally meant that he had little to no friends, and commonly refused anyone who tried to warm up to him. It wasn’t all that hard since he hadn’t had any friends to begin with, and when it came to physical needs, well, he had no problem in that department. He guessed that he never felt lonely or missed people’s presence because he had never had it in the first place. But, after spending time with the Lycaons, he had become softer.

He already knew that though. Which is why he had left so fast. He knew his feelings of fondness had grown past the point of being manageable, so he cut himself off from the source of his growing weakness and came back to Okinawa. Big Mama was no fool though, and noticed Toa had escalated his otherwise minor drinking habit into a major one, and had increased the number of packs he smoked to three and a half. She understood he was destroying his body faster than her regular alcoholics and brawlers, and she didn’t want to be the one to supply him with his booze and cigarettes anymore so she bit her bottom lip and spoke.

“Tokuchi, I don’t think you should come to the bar anymore,” She watched his eyes meet hers with a silent ferocity she only ever saw when he gambled. She would have confronted him sooner about this topic if she hadn’t been so afraid of him. “I also don’t think you should come down to the field and play One Outs anymore, I can never rake in any revenue when everyone knows you're there and they won’t be able to win. You’ve become a money hole to this area. No one ever wins against you and it’s pointless to keep draining money into your already inflated pockets” She was just saying bullshit and he knew it.

“If you need money, I can give it to you,” Tokuchi threw a few wads of cash on the floor between them. Big Mama felt a sense of anger rise within her at his casualness when it came to money. It was the definition of an expendable object to the blonde and she resented him in a small way for that. 

“That’s not what I mean, and you know it,” Big Mama snapped, standing and waving him away. “You’ve insulted my pride, leave! I’ll call Nathan and Brian and all the brains you have won’t beat their brawn!” Tokuchi stood and was about to say something to challenge her once more, but Nathan had heard Big Mama’s raised voice and appeared faster than the words could come out of Tokuchi’s mouth. Nathan grabbed Tokuchi by the hair and pushed him through the door that lead into the main bar with significant resistance from the blonde. Tokuchi stumbled to his knees, clawing at the rough fingers in his hair as the larger man dragged him across the rough wooden floor of the bar. There was no one in the bar to stop the abuse of the retired pitcher as he was dragged outside. Tokuchi thought that he would be released once they were outside the bar, but was proven wrong when he was hit from behind by Nathan, rendering him unconscious and limp. Before he completely lost consciousness, he felt Nathan begin to drag him up the road to the bare bones baseball field.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for your continued support and don't hesitate to leave a comment telling me where you might want this to go. I would love to hear your thoughts and ideas as well! Anyway, have a wonderful day!
> 
> P.S. I really struggled writing this chapter and promise the next one will be full of humor and spiciness!!


	5. Humanity of a Radiant Being

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Takami felt his heart swell suddenly at the kindness the exuded from Tokuchi. He was aware that Tokuchi wasn’t just the mean, calculating, and manipulative person he saw on the mound during games, but Takami was ashamed to admit he saw the man as heartless, and incapable of expressing feelings outside of pride and arrogance up until now. It was a naive and ignorant way of thinking, and as Takami saw him smile and laugh, while covered in blood, he was able to fully encompass the humanity of Tokuchi and his love for the him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I never know if this story is making sense sometimes. I'm back again with another chapter, and a few updates. So, as I write this, I am aware I have people who enjoy this story. I bring this up because I want you to all be aware a hiatus will probably happen in the next few months. I will do my best to finish the story before then, but the hiatus will be due to me joining the National Guard, and doing National Guard things. Anyway, please enjoy the story and thank you for understanding the circumstances. You all are wonderful and very understanding.

Takami woke up slowly, pain radiating in his skull. His mind swam in a bog of hangover and bleariness as he attempted to untangle his bare limbs from Amami’s. Through the storm in his head, he could somehow hear the head coach beating on his bedroom door as he made somewhat of an effort to gather himself. The brunette knew it would only be a matter of time until the coach threw privacy to the wind and kicked the door open to find a sight he wouldn’t be to happy with, but Takami couldn’t care when he felt like he could barely find the energy to stand without puking his guts out everywhere. He rolled over to face Amami and shook the older man awake, whining for him to do something about the coach. Amami shot up, when he became aware of the situation, and pulled Takami out of the bed hastily. The brunette was unsteady and had a face plastered with queasiness. 

“Put on some pants, Itsuki!” Amami hissed, shimmying into his own pair as he fought with a hungover brunette to get to where he looked sensible enough to be presented to the coach. They both knew if the coach figured out they had had sex, they would get the beating of a lifetime. 

“Amami,” Takami groaned, leaning against the other man. “My head hurts and I think I’m going to throw up.” Amami grabbed Takami’s underwear, after being unable to find his pants, and shoved the unsteady brunette onto the bed.

“You are not throwing up and you are going to tell the coach your fine!” Amami pulled Takami’s underwear up his hips and snapped the waistband before throwing him his t-shirt and opening the abused door for the coach. It’s not as if the older man hadn’t seen the players in their underwear before.

“Hey, coach--” Amami started, but was cut off by the coach as he stormed in and threw a windbreaker at Takami.

“Takami! Your going to go rake down the pitching mound and pick up the trash on the baseball field we’re going to be using for the training camp today,” The coach paused and smirked. “By yourself.”

“What?” Takami grabbed the windbreaker and stood up. “Why just me? Wasn’t it supposed to be a group effort? Like a bonding experience?”

“Bonding experiences are for players who don’t go and get drunk and sleep with other ball players.” The coach shot a sharp look at Amami before looking back at Takami. “I heard from Kitahoji and Sanada that you went out by yourself and got drunk. As for what you and Amami did together, I put that together myself…” The coach looked at the clothes littering the floor and sighed. “I don’t care what you do and who you do it with, but doing these things right before a training camp is irresponsible! Takami, your the top batter in the Japanese baseball world, and you decide to do this!? On top of you cleaning the grounds by yourself, I’m doubling your regime for the entire camp.”

Amami and Takami’s jaws dropped. Increasing the regime two fold would make it even difficult for a heavyweight boxer to keep up with, and Takami was in the featherweight class. “This isn’t fair I wasn’t the only o--” Takami bit his tongue, unable to force himself to sell out everyone else. He reserved a special place in hell for Kitahoji though. 

“Nothing else to say?” The coach asked. He got no response, so he nodded towards the both of them and left. There was a stretch of silence as Amami tried to guess how Takami was going to react to being thrown under the bus by Kitahoji, and reeled back as Takami let out a cry of frustration and threw himself onto the bed in a fit of rage, screaming into his pillow. It was at times like these that Amami relished in the fact he was one of the only people that got to see Takami freak out or get uncontrollably angry, but he didn’t like seeing the brunette upset, so he walked over to the bed and sat down beside him. Takami had grown quiet, but his shoulders still shook with anger, so Amami took to stroking the younger man’s hair. Takami turned to look up at him and pouted.

“Do you like Kitahoji more than me?” Takami muttered. Amami’s eyes widened and he shook his head, leaning down to kiss the brunette softly and deeply. Takami pushed him back, bristled with renewed anger. “That’s not an answer.”

‘I don’t like Kitahoji more than you. I don’t stick my dick in him do I?” Amami asked with a grin as Takami let out a little laugh. Amami felt his smile grow as a red warmth spread across the brunette’s cheeks, his usual cheeriness returning. Amami felt comforted Takami would leave in higher spirits than he had woken up in. 

“Well, I’m going to go do my newly assigned job now.” Takami drug himself out of bed and threw on some warm clothes and the windbreaker the coach had so ‘graciously’ given him. It was going to be bitterly cold until noon, snowing most likely, and Takami couldn’t help but cry internally at the thought of chipping away at all of the ice that he knew laid in sheets across the baseball field. 

“Want me to help?” Amami asked. Takami shook his head and made for the door. “Nah, I doubt the coach would want anything I do to be easy.” 

“Well, have fun then.” Amami waved to Takami as he exited the hotel room.  
____________________________________________________________________________

It was just as cold outside as Takami thought it would be. Even though he had only been outside for fifteen minutes, he could feel the cold seeping into his exposed face and ears. It was a bitter cold that sucked the warmth from his body, but he soon grew numb to the cold. That doesn't mean he just idled around outside though; he made an effort to get to the baseball park as quickly as he could.

As he arrived at the baseball field, underwhelmed by the dinky nature of the field, he heard voices echo across the empty air.

“Hahaha, look at him! He thinks he’s such hot shit, but not anymore!” Takami felt his stomach drop as he saw a group of three men surrounding someone on the baseball field about fifteen feet from where he was standing. He flinched back as one of the men began kicking the person on the ground and ducked out of view. He hid behind the padded portion of the fencing that lined the baseball field. 

“Do I wanna be a hero today?” Takami whispered to himself, continuing to watch the three men go at the poor soul on the ground. He knew that if he got caught in an altercation, it would only take a day for him to be all over the news, but he didn’t want to watch someone get the crap beat out of them either. Takami held his breath and looked around him. Beer bottles and cigarette butts littered the ground, letting him know the type of people that usually hung around the field at night. He decided to pick up one of the beer bottles lining the area around the baseball field, and launch it into the infield. It slammed into the outfield wall and shattered, startling the three muscled men. Takami watched as they back away from the man on the ground, flustered that they may have been seen, while Takami’s jaw dropped when he saw a flash of blonde hair and a smear of blood. It was Tokuchi Toa. 

His nose looked like it was broken and his breaths were short and ragged from pain. He was lying on his side and had his arms braced over his stomach, saliva and blood poured from his mouth as he struggled to stay conscious. Takami also saw hundreds of wads of money fluttering across the snow spotted field along with a few scattered pieces of gold jewlery. That’s not what concerned Takami though. He was disturbed by the deep amount of anger and worry that swelled in his chest as he looked at the blonde. He had yet to be able to name the emotions he felt when he saw the blonde. But, this anger was so deep, he didn't think he would hesitate to beat in the faces of the three fuckers standing in front of him. Before he could stop himself, he stood up and turned on the flashlight on his phone and pulling his hat down until it hid his face before yelling, “What are you doing on the field! These are private grounds! You need to leave immediately!” Takami felt a rush of adrenaline as the men turned to face him. He had entered the field as he called out to them and now stood paralyzed with fear. He was going for the whole security guard look, but he felt a lot smaller compared to the three men towering before him. Their eyes examined him, reading the Mariners label that decorated his jacket before they looked back at each other.

He yipped quietly when they took a step toward him, but they chose to turn and look at Tokuchi before running toward the outfield; obviously not wanting to see if Takami’s crappy act was the real thing or not. Takami watched as they jumped the fence by the bullpen and out of sight before slowly approaching Tokuchi. The brunette felt like he was approaching a wounded, but very angry, animal. Expecting the blonde to launch at him and any moment, or yell out for him not to touch him. But, he seemed to be in too much pain and too cold to play the usual aloof superior. Honestly, Takami was having a hard time processing the fact that he had just seen Tokuchi Toa get the living shit beat out of him, but he didn’t have time to sit there in awe while the man bled out on the ground. As he got closer to the blonde, he saw that he was in really bad shape. His nose was completely broken, his lip was busted wide open, and he had various bruises and abrasions all over the exposed parts of his body. Tokuchi was shivering uncontrollably and let Takami bent down beside him. The blonde’s eyes flicked to meet his; there was fear and defiance mixing in with the gold there, making Itsuki’s heart leap into his throat. That was probably the most emotion he had ever seen in the retired pitcher’s eyes. It made Takami realize that this wasn’t a baseball game, this was this man’s life. Not a game. It also made him aware of the severity of his actions. He didn't just scare of three guys beating up on Tokuchi, he may have very well saved his life.

“H-hey, Tokuchi,” Takami muttered, pulling off his windbreaker and smiling awkwardly. “Do you remember who I am?” The brunette wanted to think Tokuchi couldn’t hear how fast his heart was hammering and how red his cheeks felt, but he doubted it. He was scared Tokuchi was going to completely freak out on him but instead, the fear and defiance faded from his eyes and was replaced with a warm familiarity. 

“Yeah, why wouldn’t I remember your ugly fucking face?” Tokuchi choked. Takami bristled at the insult, but placed the windbreaker over Tokuchi anyway. He actually preferred the snarky Toa over the scared, feral one.

“Well,” Takami paused, not knowing how to explain what he had just done, and why he had done it. “I just want you to know you’re very far from a good person,” Tokuchi’s eyes narrowed, clearly insulted. “I really hate you for what you did to my teammates and me. It was unnecessary and cruel, not baseball, but it worked, and I can complain about it because I tried everything in my power to beat you, but I didn’t succeed.”

“Where are you going with this?” Tokuchi asked mutely. Takami had no idea why this was one of the first things he said to the blonde upon their reunion. You could barely call it that anyway; Takami had had very few occasions to actually interact with Tokuchi on a more intimate level than just on the field, so the brunette felt farther from the blonde than he had anticipated. He didn’t want to let this chance slip though. Even if Tokuchi was bleeding and battered, Takami couldn’t help but be infatuated with his beauty. Fair skin, smeared with dark red blood, misshapen golden hair that was damp with dirt and snow, and fair, thin lips that pressed together against the cold.

“I’m trying to say that even if you’re an asshole, I’m going to help you!” Takami blurted, finding some resolve in Tokuchi’s beauty. “You’re-you’re-you--I don’t want to leave you here because--yeah…even if you are a bad person, you don't deserve to be beat up...even if I wanted to do it a couple of times myself.” Takami stumbled lamely over his words and his gaze fell from Tokuchi’s in embarrassment. The blonde stared at Takami with a amusement dancing in his eyes as he began to laugh. Takami looked at him and was about to pop off, but the blonde stopped him with words of his own.

“That was great. You don’t need a reason to help people. You’re a good person, and I would appreciate your help.” Takami felt his heart swell suddenly at the kindness the exuded from Tokuchi. He was aware that Tokuchi wasn’t just the mean, calculating, and manipulative person he saw on the mound during games, but Takami was ashamed to admit he saw the man as heartless and incapable of expressing feelings outside of pride and arrogance up until now. It was an idiotic and ignorant way of thinking, and as Takami saw him smile and laugh, while covered in blood, he was able to fully encompass the humanity of Tokuchi and his love for the him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading, as always. And don't hesitate to leave a comment; I always adore reading your comments and responding. Also, sorry this one is a tad shorter, but I had fun writing it. I want to make Tokuchi a more human character, and I hope I'm doing it right. Anyway, I may be producing some one shots between Amami and Takami later on, separate from this fanfiction, so look forward to that in the future. Anyway, have a good day~


	6. FUCK

I literally hate this fic, and don't plan on continuing it. I have been nursing it for months, trying to reconfigure certain elements and motifs, but I can't bring myself to be proud of what I am producing right now. I am going to orphan this, but it won't be added onto ever again. You can look forward to my newest work, but I am having a writing crisis rn. Sorry. My new work won't center around Tokuchi and Takami. It will be Takami and Amami, and it will be a full multi-chapter work centered around Takami and Amami's college days and their meeting again in the Mariners. I can't create chemistry between Tokuchi and Takami in my work, it fucking sucks, so I want to work on something else with a couple I feel like I write well. I write for me before I write for anyone else, so I am not going to continue torture myself with this monstrosity of a fic. Hope you guys understand and don't kill me. I want to create better content. I am also going to go back and heavily edit my one shots. I feel like they are incredibly lack luster. Thats all from my dumbass.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading this chapter. I will make a point of updating this story regularly, so your attention is greatly appreciated. Feel free to leave a critique in the comments below and have a wonderful day!


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